From afar, shards of ice seem to occupy the space inside the glass box. But as we come closer towards the glass box, we realize that these are not ice shards, but a sedge of tiny orizuru (paper cranes), with each orizuru having only about a centimeter wingspan. These miniature origami cranes are made by the Japanese artist Naoki Onogawa.
Orizuru typically are a symbol of peace. But for Onogawa, they hold a slightly different meaning: prayer. When the March 11th earthquake and tsunami struck the Tohoku region, Onogawa was still a student. But when he visited the Rikuzentakada area the following year, he was struck by the destruction and devastation. It was this experience that prompted the artist to begin making miniature paper cranes as a symbol of prayer.
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Naoki Onogawa is currently showing new works pictured here in an exhibition titled “folklore” at the Setouchi City Museum of Art. The exhibition is up through May 5, 2021 but you can also keep up with the artist on Instagram.
See more of Onogawa’s works over at Spoon & Tamago.
Amazing!
(Image Credit: Spoon & Tamago)